‘Have a Heart’ beats on for CSUMB

California State University, Monterey Bay’s 16th annual “Have a Heart For Students Dinner & Auction” will move off campus to a new venue this year. The event scheduled for 5 p.m., Feb. 8 will be hosted by the Corral de Tierra Country Club.

Since the fundraiser first began in 1997, mroe than one million dollars has been raised to benefit student scholarships at CSUMB. What began as a breakfast in a private home and then a wine tasting has grown and expanded to involve a four-course meal with both live and silent auctions.

Over 260 individuals now attend the dinner and last year alone over $180,000 was raised to assist the university’s students. Open to the public, the dinner attracts alumni, staff members and individuals from the community. Celebrity auctioneer Zack Krone, a member of the CSUMB Class of 2005, will be the auctioneer for the auction.

For about twelve years Leslie Taylor has been a member of the committee that puts together the event. The Las Palmas resident began attending the fundraisers because her husband, Bob, was on the foundation board. Then six years ago Taylor became the co-chair of the dinner.

“Everyone on the committee goes out into the community to ask for items for the auctions,” she said. “We have some people who are really good at this. We’ll have maybe a dozen live auction items and perhaps up to 200 silent auction things. ”

Having already raised a million dollars, Taylor said they are starting on their second million but hopes it doesn’t take quite as long to achieve this new goal.

Barbara Zappas, CSUMB Vice President, University Development, said that the there is a great need for scholarship funding.

“This is a fun event and it is for a very worthwhile cause,” she said. Zappas also noted that some of the former and present scholarship recipients will also be present on the evening of the dinner to talk with those in attendance.

Salinas resident Sandra Zuniga is an example of how the scholarship money is put to good use. The Alisal High grad began her college career at Hartnell and then Holy Names College in the San Francisco Bay Area but transferred to CSUMB as a second semester sophomore.

A math major, Zuniga is scheduled to graduate this spring. She hopes to go on to graduate school at UC Davis afterward and eventually become a teacher.

Zuniga has received a number of scholarships to defray the cost of attending CSUMB. The young woman stayed at home and commuted to the campus by bus.

The scholarships she received covered her tuition and allowed Zuniga to avoid costly loans.

Not only was she the first one in her family to finish high school but Zuniga will be the first family member to receive a college degree as well.

“What I am most thankful for is the fact that the scholarships took a potential financial burden off my mother,” Zuniga said. “My mom is a single parent and this assistance meant she didn’t have to worry about paying for all of this.”

For more information and reservations, call 831-582-3908 or go online at csumb.edu/heart. Tickets are $125 per person. Held at the Corral de Tierra Country Club, the reception and silent auction begin at 5 p.m. and dinner and the live auction at 6:30 p.m. on Feb. 8.